School districts in Maine react to Connecticut shooting

KENNEBUNK, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Kids in Maine were back to school on Monday, but after Friday's tragedy in Connecticut, many parents and teachers found themselves wondering how to address such a traumatic event -- if address it at all.

A lot of districts in Maine either sent out emails to parents directly, or posted a statement on their school websites addressing Friday's shooting. Some statements talked about the school's lockdown drills specifically... Others addressed how they'd be helping students cope on Monday morning.

In Kennebunk, RSU 21 Superintendent Andrew Dolloff says they have offered parents links to resouces on how to talk about a tragedy like Friday's to your child, or even how to look for warning signs they may be having a difficult time coping with some of the information.

He says their teachers have also worked with councilors and gotten advice on certain key phrases to use when addressing a child about such a horrible event.

A number of schools say they have been looking at their policies; both superintendents in South Portland and in Westbrook have met with their police department in the last few days to reevaluate how well their emergency response time is.